Chapter 20: Going Home

"I don't care what you say, we're not going with her," Peter's voice aroused Madison from her deep slumber.

'Guuu…medic!' she grumbled to herself not wanting to move. Her chest felt very sore. 'I need drugs... and I need them now...' Peter shouting was not helping her headache. She didn't know where she was or why Peter sounded so angry so she decided to just listen for now.

"Young man, you and your siblings have no choice at this point in time," said a firm new voice. "Your sister is currently unable to care for you and you father requested that…"

"Screw him!" Peter snapped. "He is a low life son of a bitch and what he 'requested' adds up to about shit with us!"

"Peter!" Madison wheezed in her half conscious state. "What…have I told you…about swearing?" She was able to open her eyes and see that she was in a hospital bed and her room full of people. If she could just make herself sit up and stay awake she would be ok.

" Madison!" the kids and the Jones' exclaimed as they practically tackled her.

"Ak! Back up I can't breathe!" Madison gasped.

"Casey, go get the doctor," April ordered her husband. Casey dashed out of the room and soon returned with a man in a medical coat who looked to be about in his mid to late 50s. He gave her a kind smile from behind his gray beard.

"Well, our Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken," he said walking over to her and pulling out a mini flashlight to check her pupils. "You're knight in shining armor finally come by and kiss you?"

"Actually probably more like the frog prince," Madison smirk and chuckled when she, suddenly noticed a jar of Stewed Asparagus baby food with a red ribbon tied around the lid sitting on her bed stand. "So if anyone cares to clue me in, who or what was Peter arguing with?"

"That would be me," said a stern looking woman approaching the bed. "Abigail Wood."

"Hi," Madison said trying to sound as polite as possible but this woman had a serious stick up her rear. She didn't even offer to shake hands. "Can I help you?"

"Actually, my dear, I am here to help you," she said with a practiced smile. "I work for the Child Protective Services here in New York and I'm here to place your brother, sisters and son."

"Excuse me?" Madison's eyes narrowed.

"Just until you are able to provide a decent living for them, Ms. Miller," she said. "Though, judging from your current condition that could take awhile. In which case, we might want to consider a more permanent array."

"And where pray tell do you plan on placing them?" Madison's eyes narrowing even further. She could feel April and Casey glaring at the woman form behind her.

"According to your father's lawyer, if anything was to happen to your parents then you were all to go stay with your neighbor, a Mrs. Maguire I believe, until other arrangements could be found. She is here to pick up the children now. Come in, Mrs. Maguire."

"What!" Madison exclaimed as a short plump woman entered the room. "I do not think so!"

"You are really not in a position to make any major decisions, Ms. Miller," Ms. Wood said.

"I beg to differ," Madison growled.

"Maddy, you've known me for years, you should know they'll be ok with me," Mrs. Maguire said.

"Are you kidding me! Why should I trust you?" Madison asked. "Every single time I went to you for help you acted as though I had lost my mind and called my father to come pick me up. Do you have any idea how much I paid for those attempts?"

"I didn't know he was like that," Maguire said looking slightly hurt.

"I went to you for help and you turned me back over to him with out even raising an eye brow that maybe, just maybe, I was telling the truth," Madison snapped. "You're as guilty as my dad for what happened to us and you might as well just kill me because they are not going anywhere with that woman, or any other woman for that matter, they are staying with me."

"Child…" Wood began.

"Don't you dare call me 'child'," Madison snarled.

"We're trying to think of what is best for the children," Ms. Wood narrowed her eyes.

"What's best for us is Madison," Peter snapped.

"They are going with Mrs. Maguire and that is that," Wood said stiffly. "You do not have a say in this."

"Actually she does," Detective Karson said firmly suddenly appearing behind the two women. "According to the books she has the final say in this."

"But her father's request…"

"Is invalid," he said with a small glare. "That man was a sick perverted and dangerous individual and is currently in prison. This girl risked her very life for those kids and has every right to say what happens to them."

"But…"

"But personal opinions aside, legally with their father being incarcerated and to my knowledge no living relatives anywhere near by…" he looked at Madison and she nodded. It was true most of their relatives were either dead or on the other side o the country. "This girl is of legal age and is therefore declared their guardian."

"But their father's lawyer…"

"Can speak to me personally if he has any issues with that," Karson said. "To hell with what their so called father requested."

"But!"

"And you can quote me to his lawyer."

"Detective, it is my responsibility to see to it that…"

"Ms. Wood, I suggest you take your high and mighty, pampered, snot nosed backside and leave," Karson said. "Or would you like for me to have you escorted out?"

"Well I never!" Wood turned on her heels and left the room, slamming the door behind her. Madison winced at the loud noise. She had a huge headache and that really didn't help.

"Would you like something for that headache?" the doctor asked.

"Something strong if ya don't mind," she said politely. "I have a feeling it's gonna turn into a migraine soon."

"Be right back," the doctor brushed past everyone and left the room.

"I'm sorry, Madison," Mrs. Maguire said. Madison softened a little; the woman really did sound sorry. "I didn't know, but I probably should have." She walked over and kissed Madison on the forehead. "You're mother would have been proud of you."

"Thank you," Madison said as the middle aged woman smiled softly and left the room.

"I think I too owe you an apology, Ms. Miller," the Detective said sheepishly. "I know there is no making up for my actions but I'd hoped maybe I could bribe you into forgiving me…" he held up a bouquet of yellow tulips. "If not you can consider them a get well gift."

"What you did for us at the station earned you my forgiveness and my thanks, Sir," Madison said. "But I'll still take the flowers."

Karson chuckled and handed the bouquet to Molly, "If it makes you feel any better I will probably have my boss on me the second I walk back in my office, if he doesn't have it already pack up for me," he said.

"No, not really," she said. "I understand that you were just trying to do your job. Although thinking about it, it kinda worked out better this way. After tonight there is no way the courts are gonna let him near us again."

"That you can be certain of, Ms. Miller," Karson said, pulling up a chair.

"It appears I've become quite popular recently," Madison said suddenly noticing that the whole left side of her room was cover in gifts and flowers.

"You're practically a celebrity now," Kaylin said. "It was all over the papers the other day. Front page and everything; 'Girl Risks Life for Family'."

"How long have I been out?"

"About two days."

"Maddy, look!" Molly said pulling out an envelope. "People sent money!"

"What?" Madison took the envelope.

"We've counted almost nine hundred dollars," Kaylin said. "And the mail just keeps coming!"

"Wow," Madison said probably sounding as shocked as she felt. "What happened to our dad?"

"Well, after he fired at you Tyler shot him in the arm," Madison smiled; ok Tyler now had her forgiveness too. "Those are his flowers right there," he pointed to a vase of red roses. (And now he had brownie points!) "Your father is currently sitting in the medical ward section of the station having Tyler's bullet removed from his arm. After that he'll be moved to a holding cell to wait for his trail date. We want you all to come and testify when that happens."

"Of course," Madison said.

"I swear to you, he will never touch any of you ever again," Karson said with a very sincere look on his face. "I'll make sure he's locked up till the second coming."

"Thank you."

"There is one more thing though, Madison, and I hate to say it but that woman has a point," Karson said. "The kids have to go somewhere until you're better and back on your feet. Now I'm not going to force you into sending them to some random house, I want you to pick a place you know that they are going to be safe in."

"We can just stay with Raphy and others like we always do!" chirped Molly.

"Who?"

"Her imaginary friend," Madison quickly said while Peter silenced Molly. "I want them to stay with April and Casey. They are the only ones who have been with us through this and I don't trust anyone else."

"Alrighty then I'll have the paper work drawn up for the foster system so that stupid woman doesn't try and sue us," Karson said getting up.

"Sir, I want to try and adopt them," Madison said as he began to leave. "As soon as I'm able to of course."

"One step at a time, Little Missy," Detective Karson said with a light chuckle. "I'll be back later to question you but right now you should rest. Good day." With that he left, closing the door again gently.

"Well," Madison said, flinging herself into her pillow. "This has been an exciting week."

"That would be an understatement," Kaylin said rolling her eyes.

"Maddy, why can't we go stay with Raphy?" Molly asked.

"We can, Honey, it's just that the other people can't know about Raphy and Master Splinter and the boys," Madison said. "If they knew about them they would try and take them away to a zoo. And that means no more piggy back rides from Raphy and no more pancakes with Mikey."

Molly covered her mouth, "I won't say nuthin," she insisted.

"Good girl," Madison smiled. "Speaking of the guys, where are they?"

"Look out the window," April chuckled.

Madison turned her head and looked out at the roof top right next to window. She smiled when she saw her friends waving back. They looked relieved that she was awake.

"Here you go, Little Lady," the doctor's voice made her jump. "The strongest headache relief we got."

"Thank you," Madison took the medication and swallowed it.

"You, my dear, are very fortunate," the doctor said, pulling out Madison's charts. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Not really."

"You are lucky, that is what happened. By the grace of God that shot hit your necklace pendant," he said marking something down. "If you hadn't of been wearing that thing the bullet would of hit your heart and we would of lost you."

Madison's hand flew to her neck but didn't find the pendant that Master Splinter had giving her, "Where is it?"

"The necklace is among your personal things I gave to your brother, the bullet is in a baggie somewhere at the police station and I assume is going to be used as evidence against your father," he said.

"Where is it?" she asked Peter. The boy reached into his pocket and pulled the trinket out. Madison took it and placed it back around her neck. She looked at it a minute and fingered the hole through the center where the bullet had hit. She smiled slightly and tucked the pendant into her hospital gown. "So Doc, when can I get outta here?"

"Well in a perfect world we would probably keep you here till tomorrow to make sure you're ok but I know how much you probably want to be with your family so if you're doing alright by the end of the day we'll send you home. Sound good?"

"Sounds great."

"If you don't mind my asking though, where are you going to stay?" the doctor asked. "I can't really imagine that you'd go back and live at your old house."

"They'll be staying with us for the time being," said Casey.

"Grand," the doctor smiled. "Well seems like everything is alright for now, I'll let you all enjoy her company for awhile and I'll check back in later."

"Thanks again," Madison said as the doctor closed the door on his way out.

"I didn't tell, Maddy," Molly smiled looking very proud of her self.

"I'm so proud of you," Madison chuckled leaning over and hugging the child.

"If you are able to go home tonight are you wanting to stay the night with us or do you just want to go straight back to the Lair?" April asked.

"I appreciate you guys covering for us and everything you've done, you have no idea," Madison said. "But I think we just all really want to go back to the Lair."

April just smiled and nodded in understanding. As it turned out, Madison was able to go home. The doctor wanted her back in two weeks for a check up and commented on how well her wounds had been attended to. Madison had just smiled and said that she had a very good friend who was an aspiring doctor.

"I'd love to meet him; these stitches are very well done. Very precise," the doctor said.

"Well, I don't think so but I'll tell him his work is admired," Madison chuckled as she signed her release papers.

"Well, Ms. Miller, that's that," the doctor place a hand on her good shoulder with a kind smile. "You've got fire in you're blood, Little Missy, that's rare. Good luck to you."

"Thank you," Madison said. This doctor was strange; nice guy, but strange.

April had taken the kids out to pizza for dinner and promised to come back and pick up Casey and Madison after she dropped the kids off with the guys. They had loaded up most of the flowers and gifts earlier and moved them down to the Lair earlier that day. Madison told Peter to leave one of the bouquets with April and Casey as a thank you. It was about 8:30 and Casey was down stairs loading up the very last of the gifts when Raph slipped in the window. Madison putting her own clothes back on, vowing to burn the horribly uncomfortable hospital gown, and didn't notice.

"Hey, Gorgeous," he chuckled.

Madison made a squeak like noise and clutched the gown to her bare chest, "Raphael, you pervert! Get out of here!"

"Why? It's such a lovely view," he grinned.

"You either get out or turn around or I'm gonna shove my foot up your shell!"

"Will you keep your voice down, you'll have the doctor in here any minute," Raph said.

"Turn around," Madison glared. Raph obeyed and turned around. He could hear Madison hurrying to put on her bra and shirt. He noticed her jacket sitting in the chair next to him. He picked up the oddly colored jacket and put his finger through the bullet hole on the front. He clenched his fist and growled. "Ok you can look now." Raphael turned around with the piece of clothing in his hands and walked over to Madison. "Raph?" Madison said putting her hand over his. "Something wrong?"

Raphael looked up at her for a moment before wrapping her in a hug, minding her shoulder of course, "You're such an idiot, Madison."

"Gee thanks, it's nice to see you too!" Madison said in annoyance.

"I almost lost you," he murmured into her hair.

Madison blushed, 'I almost lost you' not 'we almost lost you', 'I'. He said I.

"God, Madison, what made you keep standing there?"

"It was either Molly's life or mine, what did you expect me to do?" she replied. She relaxed into his embrace and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"The exact same thing you did," Raph chuckled. "Do me a favor though, next time some nut job with a gun is it pointing at you, don't stay right there."

"I don't really plan on coming face to face with anymore nut jobs with guns," Madison laughed, pulling back just enough so she could see his face.

"Ok let me be a little more broad," he said cupping her chin. "Don't do anything I would do."

"Well now that just took all the fun outta life," she smirked.

"Don't be a smart ass," Raph smirked back.

"Make me," her smirk turned more cattish.

"Maybe I will…" Raph leaned down.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Casey's voice made them jump apart.

'Damn you, Casey Jones!' Raph glared at the smirking idiot.

'So close!' Madison wanted to whine but she didn't, well not out loud anyway. 'Just another thirty second…Aggg!'. "Everything ready to go?" she asked trying to hide her blush.

"We are," Casey grinned. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Madison said as Raph helped her over to the wheel chair Casey had brought in. "Don't know why I need this thing, my ankle feels way better."

"Just humor us and sit your butt down," Casey said. Madison glared but obeyed.

Raph patted her shoulder and laughed, "See ya street side, Babe." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and exited through the window.

"Don't call me babe!" she shook her fist at him, knowing he was smirking as he leaped away from roof to roof.

"Ready to head back to the Lair?" Casey asked, wheeling her out of the room.

"No," Madison replied bluntly, than added with a smile. "I ready to go home."

Author Note: There is an epilogue coming! Stay tuned.